Pony Express School

Q: Is Pony Express School a good school?

Pony Express School ranks 291 st of 561 Utah elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Pony Express School is an elementary school located in Eagle Mountain, Utah, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 1,128 students. The school is part of the Alpine School District, which is ranked 26th out of 98 districts in Utah and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pony Express School's test scores are generally lower than the Alpine District and state averages across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 3rd-grade English Language Arts proficiency rate was 46.9%, compared to the district's 53.7% and the state's 46.7%. Additionally, the school has a relatively low percentage of free and reduced lunch recipients, ranging from 21.34% to 23.85% over the past three years, indicating a higher-income student population. Pony Express School also has a higher student-teacher ratio (27.1 in 2022-2023) compared to the nearby schools, which may impact the quality of individual attention students receive.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Saratoga Shores School and Springside School, Pony Express School's performance is generally lower, with these schools having higher test scores and state rankings. Pony Express School's high ranking for low socioeconomic status students suggests that the school may be serving a relatively affluent population, which could contribute to its higher test scores compared to the state average. However, the school's lower racial diversity and higher spending per student compared to nearby schools indicate that these factors may not be directly translating to better academic performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

3985 E Smith Ranch Rd
Eagle Mountain, UT 84005

(801) 610-8714

District: Alpine District

SchoolDigger Rank:
291^st of 561 Utah Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,270

Students who attend Pony Express School usually attend:

Middle:	Frontier Middle School
High:	Westlake High

Student/teacher ratio: 25.3

Number of students: 1,084

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.3%

Hispanic:

13.9%

Two or more races:

4.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 19.5%

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Compare Pony Express School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pony Express School ranks worse than 51.9% of elementary schools in Utah. It also ranks 39^th among 52 ranked elementary schools in the Alpine District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.06. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (76.3%), Hispanic (13.9%), two or more races (4.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 19.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pony Express School is 25.3. 30 elementary schools in the Alpine District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Pony Express School employs 42.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pony Express School is $7,270, which is the 18^th highest among 52 elementary schools in the Alpine District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pony Express School:

SchoolDigger ranks Pony Express School 291^st of 561 Utah public elementary schools. (See Pony Express School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Alpine District:

SchoolDigger ranks Alpine District 26^th of 98 Utah school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Pony Express School

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Rank History for all students at Pony Express School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	UT State Percentile
2008	41.31	338^th	498	32.1%
2009	45.94	320^th	509	37.1%
2010	48.56	307^th	518	40.7%
2011	54.42	311^th	563	44.8%
2012	50.93	357^th	579	38.3%
2013	47.86	366^th	576	36.5%
2014	50.21	258^th	509	49.3%
2015	30.21	402^nd	537	25.1%
2016	34.06	369^th	533	30.8%
2017	26.35	409^th	526	22.2%
2018	48.42	281^st	528	46.8%
2019	53.71	273^rd	572	52.3%
2021	41.30	334^th	559	40.3%
2022	48.37	294^th	551	46.6%
2023	57.20	232^nd	561	58.6%
2024	50.06	291^st	561	48.1%

See the entire list of Utah Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pony Express School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	UT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	79.55	21^st	162	87.0%

See the entire list of Best Utah Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for White students at Pony Express School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	UT State Percentile
2022	33.48	303^rd	435	30.3%
2023	41.53	252^nd	428	41.1%
2024	38.48	288^th	429	32.9%

See the entire list of Best Utah Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Utah State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Utah State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Pony Express School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2002	971	2	9	44	6	n/a	n/a	0	1032
2003	971	2	9	44	6	n/a	n/a	0	1032
2004	1195	8	9	48	7	n/a	n/a	0	1267
2005	749	2	8	38	4	n/a	n/a	0	801
2006	1028	5	15	64	2	n/a	n/a	0	1114
2007	1021	12	13	79	3	n/a	n/a	0	1128
2008	1325	28	12	131	3	n/a	n/a	0	1499
2009	932	12	15	86	4	n/a	n/a	0	1049
2010	835	10	22	66	2	n/a	n/a	223	1158
2011	1082	8	10	93	9	12	0	0	1214
2012	1022	4	8	88	4	12	12	0	1150
2013	1041	8	7	100	2	10	23	0	1191
2014	1019	11	10	101	3	11	45	0	1200
2015	748	7	3	97	1	5	30	0	891
2016	726	4	3	83	1	13	35	0	865
2017	794	7	3	88	1	9	40	0	942
2018	799	5	2	98	1	7	47	0	959
2019	807	5	5	74	0	5	59	0	955
2020	863	7	5	88	1	11	61	0	1036
2021	800	6	3	80	6	22	57	0	974
2022	903	9	6	101	4	28	50	0	1101
2023	893	6	7	139	2	31	50	0	1128
2024	827	14	8	151	0	38	46	0	1084

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pony Express School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	1032	40.6	25.4	24.8
2003	1032	40.6	25.4	24.8
2004	1267	51.4	24.6	30.7
2005	801	35.2	22.8	27.3
2006	1114	50.0	22.3	25.9
2007	1128	47.2	23.9	4.3
2008	1499	52.7	28.4	21.9
2009	1049	12.8	22.9	23.5
2010	1158	51.8	22.3	46.2
2011	1214	42.4	28.6	31.8
2012	1150	45.7	25.1	29.7
2013	1191	47.7	24.9	36.7
2014	1200	49.4	24.2	30.3
2015	891	n/a	n/a	35
2016	865	n/a	n/a	31
2017	942	49.4	19.0	31.2
2018	959	n/a	n/a	25.8
2019	955	39.5	24.1	22.7
2020	1036	38.5	26.8	22.8
2021	974	n/a	n/a	22.3
2022	1101	41.3	26.6	21.3
2023	1128	41.5	27.1	23.8
2024	1084	42.8	25.3	19.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Pony Express School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	1032	40.6	25.4	24.8
2003	1032	40.6	25.4	24.8
2004	1267	51.4	24.6	30.7
2005	801	35.2	22.8	27.3
2006	1114	50.0	22.3	25.9
2007	1128	47.2	23.9	4.3
2008	1499	52.7	28.4	21.9
2009	1049	12.8	22.9	23.5
2010	1158	51.8	22.3	46.2
2011	1214	42.4	28.6	31.8
2012	1150	45.7	25.1	29.7
2013	1191	47.7	24.9	36.7
2014	1200	49.4	24.2	30.3
2015	891	n/a	n/a	35
2016	865	n/a	n/a	31
2017	942	49.4	19.0	31.2
2018	959	n/a	n/a	25.8
2019	955	39.5	24.1	22.7
2020	1036	38.5	26.8	22.8
2021	974	n/a	n/a	22.3
2022	1101	41.3	26.6	21.3
2023	1128	41.5	27.1	23.8
2024	1084	42.8	25.3	19.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pony Express School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$315 (4.3%)	$6,954 (95.7%)	$7,270

Data source: Utah Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pony Express School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 273^rd of 572 Elementary schools	Ranks 232^nd of 561 Elementary schools	6.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pony Express School)	56.6	44.3	12.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Alpine District)	52.7	52.5	0.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	46.8	46.2	0.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pony Express School)	67	44.6	22.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Alpine District)	54.4	54.9	0.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Utah)	50.2	49	1.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pony Express School)	41.5	37.8	3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Alpine District)	53.5	52.6	0.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	47.3	44.2	3.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Pony Express School)	31.1	50.4	19.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Alpine District)	54.1	58.9	4.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	49.3	50.1	0.8%
4th Grade Science (Pony Express School)	35.2	52.8	17.6%
4th Grade Science (Alpine District)	59	57.7	1.3%
4th Grade Science (Utah)	51.1	49.6	1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pony Express School)	45.5	55.2	9.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Alpine District)	56.2	58.7	2.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	47.9	49	1.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Pony Express School)	34.6	52.5	17.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Alpine District)	53.6	53.5	0.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	49	45.3	3.7%
5th Grade Science (Pony Express School)	51.5	56	4.5%
5th Grade Science (Alpine District)	60.3	58.5	1.8%
5th Grade Science (Utah)	51.9	51.2	0.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Pony Express School)	63.7	55.7	8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Alpine District)	55.8	54.7	1.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	48.9	45.3	3.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Pony Express School)	47.1	38.5	8.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Alpine District)	44.7	48.2	3.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	39.2	35.4	3.8%
6th Grade Science (Pony Express School)	71.6	62.1	9.5%
6th Grade Science (Alpine District)	63.6	64.4	0.8%
6th Grade Science (Utah)	57.7	55.5	2.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	955	1128	18.1%
African American	5	6	20%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	5	7	40%
Hispanic	74	139	87.8%
Pacific Islander	5	31	520%
White	807	893	10.7%
Two or More Races	59	50	15.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	22.7%	23.8%	1.1%

Schools Near Pony Express School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				RISE English Language Arts (2024)				RISE Mathematics (2024)				RISE Science (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	RISE English Language Arts 3rd Grade	RISE English Language Arts 4th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 5th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 6th Grade	RISE Mathematics 3rd Grade	RISE Mathematics 4th Grade	RISE Mathematics 5th Grade	RISE Mathematics 6th Grade	RISE Science 4th Grade	RISE Science 5th Grade	RISE Science 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Pony Express School	Public	PK, KG-6	3985 E Smith Ranch Rd	Eagle Mountain	84005	Utah County	Alpine District	No	No	No	No	(801) 610-8714	1,084	43	25.3	19.5%	827 (76.3%)	14 (1.3%)	151 (13.9%)	8 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (3.5%)	46 (4.2%)	50.1	291^st of 561 public elementary schools	48.1%		57.2	232^nd of 561 public elementary schools	58.6%	59	46.9	32.4	50.1	47.5	44.3	37.1	51.6	43.1	43.9	53.6	65.7	$7,270	$315	$6,954
Silver Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	5069 Golden Eagle Road	Eagle Mountain	84005	Utah County	Alpine District	No	No	No	No	(801) 640-8400	800	32	24.6	16.0%	589 (73.6%)	6 (0.8%)	150 (18.8%)	5 (0.6%)	6 (0.8%)	7 (0.9%)	37 (4.6%)	63	204^th of 561 public elementary schools	63.6%		60.3	214^th of 561 public elementary schools	61.9%	10	64.4	40.0	58.1	52.3	62.3	51.0	45.0	46.2	52.9	52.7	58.2
Brookhaven School	Public	PK, KG-6	7082 North Seedling Drive	Eagle Mountain	84005	Utah County	Alpine District	No	No	No	No	(801) 610-8733	1,081	43	25.3	13.2%	866 (80.1%)	6 (0.6%)	139 (12.9%)	8 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	12 (1.1%)	49 (4.5%)	44.9	319^th of 561 public elementary schools	43.1%		40.3	340^th of 561 public elementary schools	39.4%	21	45.8	41.8	32.2	49.6	43.4	50.4	33.3	37.2	52.7	46.2	58.2	$5,555	$274	$5,281
Ranches Academy	Public, Charter	K-6	7789 Tawny Owl Cir	Eagle Mountain	84005	Utah County	Ranches Academy	Yes	No	No	No	(801) 789-4000	367	18	20.3	16.9%	287 (78.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (12.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (1.9%)	24 (6.5%)	76.4	115^th of 561 public elementary schools	79.5%		82.9	79^th of 561 public elementary schools	85.9%	36	53.1	52.9	63.3	62.2	57.2	62.7	73.5	42.2	64.8	66.7	62.2	$6,230	$141	$6,089
Hidden Hollow School	Public	PK, KG-6	2546 E Pony Express Parkway	Eagle Mountain	84005	Utah County	Alpine District	No	No	No	No	(801) 610-8721	903	37	24.1	19.3%	707 (78.3%)	7 (0.8%)	120 (13.3%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	11 (1.2%)	52 (5.8%)	71.7	149^th of 561 public elementary schools	73.4%		64.8	184^th of 561 public elementary schools	67.2%	35	54.2	58.7	55.6	58.9	69.2	57.8	43.2	47.5	62.3	55.2	64.7	$6,571	$248	$6,323
Thunder Ridge School	Public	PK, KG-6	264 N. 750 W.	Saratoga Springs	84045	Utah County	Alpine District	No	No	No	No	(801) 610-8727	1,052	40	26.2	12.1%	828 (78.7%)	16 (1.5%)	144 (13.7%)	8 (0.8%)	5 (0.5%)	10 (1.0%)	41 (3.9%)	47.6	308^th of 561 public elementary schools	45.1%		52.5	265^th of 561 public elementary schools	52.8%	43	49.6	36.2	48.6	47.2	44.6	41.8	42.7	40.3	45.6	51.8	56.5	$7,234	$517	$6,717
Black Ridge School	Public	PK, KG-6	9358 N. Sunset Drive	Eagle Mountain	84005	Utah County	Alpine District	No	No	No	No	(801) 610-8729	814	33	24.6	9.3%	730 (89.7%)	3 (0.4%)	47 (5.8%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	22 (2.7%)	67	179^th of 561 public elementary schools	68.1%		53.2	259^th of 561 public elementary schools	53.8%	80	62.9	45.1	63.3	59.7	64.4	45.1	53.8	36.6	48.1	65.8	60.7	$5,758	$246	$5,512
Desert Sky	Public	K-6	1747 E Wildcat Peak	Eagle Mountain	84005	Utah County	Alpine District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(801) 610-8400	1,002	42	23.9	12.9%	775 (77.3%)	9 (0.9%)	138 (13.8%)	11 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	19 (1.9%)	48 (4.8%)								(n/a)
Ascent Academies of Utah Saratoga Springs	Public, Charter	K-6	992 Chianti Street	Saratoga Springs	84043	Utah County	Ascent Academies of Utah	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(385) 275-0909	498	24	20.7	20.3%	339 (68.1%)	15 (3.0%)	80 (16.1%)	19 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.0%)	30 (6.0%)	39.7	353^rd of 561 public elementary schools	37.1%					(n/a)	45.3	31.7	51.2		48.0	38.2	34.9		39.7	51.2
Saratoga Shores School	Public	PK, KG-6	1415 S Parkside Drive	Saratoga Springs	84045	Utah County	Alpine District	No	No	No	No	(801) 610-8716	793	30	26.5	8.3%	675 (85.1%)	4 (0.5%)	49 (6.2%)	14 (1.8%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.8%)	44 (5.5%)	83	72^nd of 561 public elementary schools	87.2%		84.1	69^th of 561 public elementary schools	87.7%	3	74.1	63.9	60.0	66.4	69.6	59.8	56.4	58.1	64.4	60.5	68.9	$6,437	$273	$6,164

Frequently Asked Questions about Pony Express School

What is the racial makeup of Pony Express School?

Students at Pony Express School are 76% White, 14% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 4% Pacific Islander, 1% African American.

What district is Pony Express School in?

Alpine District

What schools do graduates of Pony Express School attend?

Students who attend Pony Express School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Frontier Middle School
High : Westlake High

How many students attend Pony Express School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,084 students attended Pony Express School.

Is Pony Express School a good school?

Pony Express School ranks 291^st of 561 Utah elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Utah State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.